13 replies to this topic

[chuckbrandt]

I bought this 3.5" x 15" Cooper wheel on ebay as an Object D' Art for my office. It's performing brilliantly in that capacity, it's so cool

But I am very curious about it's configuration. I has 2 bearing races pressed into it and clearly is intended for spindle mounting not the normal 4 bolts. I'm of course curious as to what the original application for this wheel would have been and how brakes would be applied to it. Do I have a wheel for a trailer?

What do you guys think?

Thanks, Chuck

[Harvey]

Chuck

Looks like the wheel off a drum brake Cooper to me. My T43 has 4.5 x 15s at the front as do the T39s (Bobtails), T41s and T45s that I've seen in historics. Could it be off a 500cc F3 car - I've seen narrow rims on these?

Harvey

[chuckbrandt]

Ah yes, looking at pictures I see what you are saying. Front wheels on drum brake cars were spindle mounted. So how does the drum attach to the wheel? Bolted through the lug holes?

Thanks, Chuck

[rbm]

fairly sure it is not a Cooper 500cc F3 they are all sort of a flat cast wheel.

well thats about as clear as mud



all the 500cc F3 wheels were of a similar design to these.

[Dick Willis]

Its off a T43/45/51 Cooper, original fitment was 3.5 inch, you don't need to be in a hurry to change the front wheel as undoing the four nuts won't release it, you have to undo the the centre wheel bearing nut as well. Most people in Historics probably use a 4.5 inch wheel these days, but not in Australia !

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Dick Willis
Its off a T43/45/51 Cooper

Or a Monaco?

[cosworth bdg]

Originally posted by David McKinney

Or a Monaco?

I belive you are correct with your ID......

[D-Type]

I've had a look in Cooper Cars. Doug Nye says the Monaco had 4.50-15 fronts and 5.50-15 rears.
He says that he 8 spoke alloy wheel was introduced on the 1956 Mk 2 Bobtail so this wheel could have come from any of the Bobtails, or early F2 or F1 cars (but probably not the T42 500s judging by the pictures in the book.) It won't be one of the FJ cars as they used 500-style 15 in wheels followed by 8-spoke 13 in ones.

[chuckbrandt]

Thanks Guys. That lug bolts and spindle mount arrangement sure threw me, but I get it now. I'm glad to know it was something fairly standard.

Chuck

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by D-Type
He says that he 8 spoke alloy wheel was introduced on the 1956 Mk 2 Bobtail so this wheel could have come from any of the Bobtails

Not the 1955 cars, which had 500-type wheels, but 1956 models yes

[D-Type]

Originally posted by David McKinney

Not the 1955 cars, which had 500-type wheels, but 1956 models yes

Sorry, sloppy writing - know what I meant which is different from what I wrote.

Can this count as this month's signature justification?

[tyjak]

Not a Monaco. The Monaco uses a seperate hub and as the earlier posting states was wider. The lola Mark 1 used a similar front rim if it was a front drum brake car. This was also a 4.5" .

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by tyjak
The Monaco uses a seperate hub and as the earlier posting states was wider.

Even the first Monacos?

[tyjak]

Yes, CM-2-59, the prototype Monaco has seperate hubs.